Jacques ZILLER - Fragmentation/Participation : Looking for the Proper Size

Pouvoirs n°95 - La commune en France et en Europe - novembre 2000 - p.19-31

With the coming municipal elections in France, observers are going to discuss the «French exception» represented by the existence of 36,000 districts. A comparative study of districts in Europe tends to relativize considerably the special character of the fragmentation represented by the French districts. Although, since the sixties, some countries have managed to reduce significantly the number of small districts, almost all the members of the European Union have to face the dilemma of choosing between management efficiency and the proximity between elected officials and the people they represent. No miracle solution easily appliable in France is to be found through such a comparative study. However it highlights the extreme diversity of institutional solutions and the relevance of distinguishing between rural and urban zones. Résumé

Référence électonique : Jacques ZILLER, "Fragmentation/Participation : Looking for the Proper Size", Pouvoirs, revue française d’études constitutionnelles et politiques, n°95, 2000, p.19-31. Consulté le 01-06-2012. URL : http://www.revue-pouvoirs.fr/Fragmentation-Participation.html